Tubular Bells

I had an ex who considered this the pinnacle of musical achievement. He turned out to be about as tedious as this album is. I get why it's on the list, it was sort of groundbreaking in its day. I just never got it, it rouses nothing in me. I hear a bunch of boring musical wankery, and just want to yawn and push it aside.

"Thanks for the recording, Mike. Great tune. Love those bells! We can really do something with them... Oh sure, the whistles are cute, too... Uh-huh, and the guitar at 14 minutes... Yep, the jig at the end was, er, also amusing... Nice stuff. Sure. I'm just saying that as far as quote unquote songs, it's obvious those first four minutes do the heavy lifting, so we should run with those. Maybe work in a few of the other bits. That'll shave off a cool forty-four minutes or so. Then we'll be sitting pre... Sorry, say that again... Oh. Really? All of it?... I see... Uh-huh... I see... Mike, that's *very* long. I'm not sure peope will be able to tolerate it once the main bit is over so early... Mike?... Mike?... Shit."

Based on this project, I’m starting to see “he played all the instruments!” as a warning sign, not a recommendation.

Good shit, 20+ minute songs are where it's at. Favorite track is Tubular Bells lol

Stunning. A prefect work of art. The man was 19 when he composed the album and it took him 6 months. An absolute masterpiece

When the drums kick in during Bells pt. 2 and that guy starts grunt-singing and howling in whatever language that was… I finally had my first genuine WTF moment with this entire list. And I liked it! This album really runs the gamut of the ridiculous and the sublime, and the whole time I kept thinking of A) The Exorcist B) that Oldfield should make a record with Tortoise and C) that Oldfield should make a record with Mike Patton. All enjoyable thoughts in my book.

“Tubular Bells” by Mike Oldfield (1973) Autobiographical review: I bought this album when it came out in 1973, chiefly because of the brilliance of the single release (used as theme music for the movie “The Exorcist”), but I’m pretty sure I never listened to the whole album. I lacked the patience. This morning, I don’t know if I have the patience, but I do have the time. Almost entirely instrumental, it’s basically an experimental composition with a wide variety of keyboard and guitar sounds, woven together in a richly textured pastiche of tones. A dubbing picnic. On the plus side, this work is extraordinarily innovative (for 1973), with some very creative instrumentation, recording techniques, time signatures, and chord progressions. It’s very interesting to listen to this album and ask oneself how he’s making this or that particular sound. Definitely cool. On the minus side, there is little percussion (none on side one), and there is a complete lack of cohesion—a random mixture of moods that are missing a symphonic theme. It’s composed and arranged as if it were a high tech hobby. Some pitch problems on the backing vocals and lower end fretted string instruments. And the gimmicky voiceover naming added instruments is pedantic. When it finally gets to what one might call prog rock at 14:00 on side two, it’s substandard. Remember, we’d already heard Emerson, Lake & Palmer and early Pink Floyd. Most of the album doesn’t rise to the quality of the first four minutes. Very disappointing. So while the album is definitely good, it’s finally unsatisfying. Now on the other hand, if I were high . . . 3/5

At its best, it reminds me of things I would rather be listening to; at its worst, it reminds me how bad of a decision it was to listen to this instead of those other things. Maybe Oldfield didn't understand that announcing instruments doesn't make the theme they're riffing on sound any better, it only makes me regret that I have to listen to another round of it before I can finally finish the album. I only two things notable: the sequence in Tubular Bells Pt. II with the grunted vocals and the fact that a child-rapist used the first minute as a theme for his movie about demon possession. The former only happened because Oldfield got himself drunk enough to accidentally do something interesting. The latter's what brought us here, listening to an album that makes me wish some priest could exorcise the memory of this bland music out of my fucking head.

why the growling? it was good before the growling

Ni fu, ni fa.

Amazing. I had no idea the famous instrumental piece is from this album.

never gonna listen to it again but i'm glad i did 2/5

10/10, I love weird prog that was just such a cool album, I really loved it

As unique now as it was in 1973, definitely an album you must hear before you die.

So I had listened to this album a few times in the past, due to my deep prog roots – combined with how much buzz the album had gotten over the years, and I have to say that after today’s listen – my thoughts haven’t changed… #1 – It is an impressive work for a 19-year old who played all of the instruments at the time of its release… Most albums where the artist plays every instrument typically suffer from lack of diversity, but that was not a problem on this album – so that was good… #2 – There are sections of the music that I truly enjoyed, as there is no denying that… #3 – Why in the world he felt the need to “introduce” each of the instruments in “Part I” is beyond me, as that TOTALLY ruined whatever vibe he had going with me on that track… #4 – Same kinda thing on “Part II”, as I was sorta beginning to dig a section, and then he starts grunting for lack of a better word – and AGAIN, totally ruined whatever vibe he had going – I mean like WTF??? #5 – The “Single” track – which is what I’m guessing was the short-version released back in the day for radio, was fairly well-done – and again as I was enjoying the track, I half-expected something odd to jump out at me, but turns out that was the only unflawed track… Nothing amazing mind you, but certainly pleasant… #6 – The last song is a complete throwaway, and have no idea why he included it on this album, or what its purpose was… “Tubular Bells” still doesn’t do much for me overall, and saddened by the fact that A LOT of outstanding prog-rock albums that SHOULD be on this list – probably aren’t due to albums like this… Nothing but a 2 from me…

Another one my brother bought but I don’t know where this vinyl ended up. I remembered the music was widely known since it was in a popular movie. The wiki notes reminded me it was The Exorcist. It’s quite impressive that he was still a teenager when he wrote and played all the instruments. One thing I didn't remember is how good he was at playing guitar.He lays down some good shit The end of side 1 is priceless when the introduction of the instruments builds to a climax as we eagerly await the introduction of the tubular bells. The timing of this release could not have been better since the use of Hallucinogenics was reaching new heights. I have to call this a masterpiece.

Stunning piece of progressive rock

Not too hot on the music, but the lyrics are great.

Not sure it's dated too well, but can imagine that it sounded great on a decca music centre at the time, but was no more than background music when played today. Liked the grunts, hated the jig at the end, and astounded that he was 19 when he produced what would have been groundbreaking material at the time.

"Tubular Bells" is an hour of pretentious, self-indulgent trash. But, most damning of all, it's boring. Prog absolutely isn't my genre but even I know it should be complex, edgy, and challenging. The few times "Tubular Bells" broke away from being vanilla, it was to do something cringey. And don't get me started on that last track. Utter trash. Why's that on the album? Buggered if I know.

That was hilarious. Love. I'm a sucker for stuff that ranges from great to godawful (now with more spoken word!) and knowing it was used as the original Exorcist's theme is the chef's kiss. This is the kind of album you spring on people on a road trip where you're driving.

I am very familiar with this album. I know it's repetitive and impossibly connected to "The Exorcist," and that's what made me buy the CD all those many years ago. But as I listened to the album in my teens and 20s (and beyond), I remained mesmerized by the album on its own terms. I love how the initial riff of the first side serves as a bed for so many other melodies and how they all culminate in flowing trickles and dramatic swells in an ever-expanding and contracting composition. I also remain impressed with the sheer number of instruments (analog!) incorporated. The mandolins and electric guitars, the piano and chiming bells, the choir... the arrangement is fantastic. And the introduction of the instruments is genius. I always get a kick out his excitement when the narrator says, "plus, tubular bells!" (Though "two slightly distorted guitars" might really be the best.) I was thrilled to see this served up and thoroughly enjoyed listening to it. It had been a while. I'll take this over every single EDM offering we've had to date.

Fun and spooky mostly instrumental progressive album that still holds up today.

What a cool album. There were shades of Final Fantasy in this album. It was a cool touch to introduce all of the instruments as they were added. This feels like a world music album with the variety of instruments, including bagpipes and Spanish guitar. I'm only reviewing based on Tubular Bells pt 1 and 2. Such a pleasant album I'll likely listen to again. I thought the album was going to be very simple and repetitive due to the first few minutes. The only real downside of this album was the weird moaning in Pt. 2. Everything else was a high throughout the entirety. I enjoyed the fact that it was just 2 long songs that gave Mr. Oldfield room to draw out and experiment during songs, almost like a jam band. Would pair nicely with a day at the Renaissance Festival. This album is a sneaky 5 in my opinion. I was in between 4 and 5, but the uniqueness of the album and the fact that it elicited joy while I was deep cleaning the bathroom pushes it into 5 territory.

This is amazing, truly a masterpiece, I love the first track

I greatly prefer the 2003 remake, possibly because it is the first version I heard and possibly because it does sound much better from a pure sound quality perspective. Anyway, this album is a milestone in my musical journey because it was one of the first ones where I would concentrate on the sounds and on the sensations they gave me more than on words (of course, they're basically not there here) or other aspects. It's still one of my go-to albums to test audio stuff and I enjoy it greatly.

Back when I was a kid, albums were expensive and I didn't own that many. I also hadn't discovered where the good record stores were, so most of my records were sourced from the Ashfield Record Bar (in Hercules Street, now a bakery), Kmart, or mail-order from the World Record Club. I'm pretty sure I bought my cassette copy of Tubular Bells from the Kmart bargain bin when I was about 13, and I played it a lot. But I can't say I have played the album often since I turned about 16. I've since picked up a vinyl copy, but I am most likely to spin this disco cover by the Champs (https://youtu.be/qgtRVTU6hv8?si=3N_3dGVdLGidefxz&t=16). It's been over 30 years since I listened to the original Tubular Bells all the way through. I generally don't like prog (too clever clogs), but I enjoyed spinning this again. Mike Oldfield knows a good melody and hook. Tubular Bells feels full of surprising little musical moments. It's like an Easter egg hunt in a hedge maze, where you turn a corner, and suddenly there is a new little vignette to surprise and delight. And then you push on further through the hedge maze to find the next egg. Some stray observations after listening to this all the way through for the first time in 30 years; - It is more fun than I remember, and much more memorable. I can still remember a lot of the melodies and moments along the way. - Some sections are clearly jokes. - It is a chock-a-block with mistakes. For some reason, I had it in my head that they'd laboured over this record, obsessively overdubbing. With my more mature ears, I can hear how quickly it was thrown together. Lots of flubbed notes, out of tune guitars, clumsy transitions, sloppy playing. This was recorded quickly by a nerdy teenager on whatever equipment was available. Nobody involved really knew what they were doing, and it shows. Personally, I find the imperfections kind of charming. - I now realise how much the main section is cribbed from the Bonzo Dog Band's 'Intro and the Outro'. Not a bad thing really -- more people should get Viv Stanshall to narrate their records. "Eric Clapton on ukelele, Princess Anne on sousaphone" - Also, Terry Riley was clearly a big influence. I also listened to the Part One demo, and the influence is especially profound there. I quite like minimalism, so that works for me. - Part One is definitely better than Part Two. - I don't normally approve of guitars DI'ed straight into the desk, especially in the age before cab simulators. They sound fizzy and claustrophobic. But I'll forgive them here because of the way they fit into the (inadvertent) sound design. They sound really up-close and warm. -When I was a kid, I always wished it had more drums in it, and I secretly still feel that. But maybe it would be much more serious with drums and lose its charm. Maybe it's better like this. I note this from Simon Frith's contemporaneous review (quoted on wikipedia): "Oldfield's concern is the sound of rock, but Tubular Bells lacks rock's other essence — energy. This is no way body music — no sex, no violence, no ecstasy; nothing uncontrolled, nothing uncontrollable." I think he's correct, so I think the decision to leave off the drums was consistent with the more cerebral, less physical music. You couldn't dance to this record, by intention. - The version I listened to today was heavily remastered (and possibly remixed?) in the 2000s. I did not enjoy the extra brightness and space in the mix; it actually makes it sound like the recording is hollow and missing its centre. I was immediately nostalgic for the overly compressed tape saturation of my old cassette copy. - That cover art really is great, isn't it? I was expecting to return to this album to find that early 70s prog seriousness and pretentious cleverness that I really hate, but instead found a charmingly amateurish, fun and often funny album (in a quite teenage way). It's full of cracking little tunes and delightful moments. It's a really easy album to like. 3.5 stars, rounding up for being more fun than I remember.

Groovy groovy groovy without exception this makes you remove all your clothes, douse yourself in ice cold water, and dance in the pitch black darkness

This thing has baselines! Good fun.

Une fois n'est pas coutume, je préfère le 2

I didn't know anything about this but actually really liked it. It was excellent music to have on while I was working. There were some weird choices and it was produced a bit strangely (differing levels, etc) but overall I thought this was great!

Listened Before? I'm not sure... I think so? I have no memory of the music, but the album art seems extremely familiar. I think I may have stumbled on this before, but its basically a new listen. If the album art wasn't already screaming "this is prog rock" the tracklist certainly does. One single piece split into two parts that are spread evenly across each side of a record. I find such a format sort of difficult to review. All I can say is that I understand the decision on format. While there are no words, the instrumental tells a certain story that is in constant evolution. Could easily imagine someone producing a visual accompaniment. Pretty incredible how the whole thing seamlessly transitions without ever feeling "forced." I do enjoy the goofy spoken narration of instruments around the 21 minute mark as he layers instruments over a repeating melody. I don't know why, but I was surprised when he said "Tubular Bells" and then the mixing pushed them front and center with a choral accompaniment. Well that was an enjoyable 26 minutes -- nice background music. Onto Pt II... honestly, the music itself is quite enjoyable, but what the everloving fuck are these vocals? It is as if they are channeling their inner werewolf and grumbling incoherent German(?). In a weird way it just works, but it is a curious choice just as with the narration in the first part. I'm left at the conclusion of this one a little confused. On one hand, I enjoyed it (especially the virtuouso guitar section around 17 min of pt II). On the other, I have no longing desire to go back for another journey. I think this is an incredible display of musical prowess from Oldfield, in not only playing a large number of the instrumentals, but also in arranging a coherent instrumental exploration of this nature. On a technical front I think this is very high; on enjoyment also reasonably high; but on a more nuanced, personal experience front, I'm kind of meh. So I'll be generous and say this is a 4 / 5 that I will probably never go through again. Added to Library? No Songs Added To Playlists:

More cowbell please

Oh man, I was drawn into Oldfield's Tubular Bells. Both epic sides of this record really were mesmerizing and instrumentally beautiful. The growling on Side B was even acceptable :) The single that followed on Spotify was a nice bonus that connected me to my Irish/English ancestors. The other additional song, Sailor's Hornpipe, is bloody hilarious! I am grateful to have been invited to discover Mike Oldfield and look forward to checking out his catalogue. I have a feeling I'll be doing the jig!

Is there any instrument this guy can’t play??

01) Tubular Bells, Part One - 7,0 02) Tubular Bells, Part Two - 6,5 TOTAL: 6,75 (68/100) He was 19 when he recorded this. When I was 19 I longed for a PlayStation. There are some fine sounds here but I don't really like how all these parts that seem to have nothing in common are all glued together into just two songs. The sequence in Tubular Bells Pt. II with the grunted vocals is a bit disturbing, don't like it. Anyway, the first three minutes are the best and the rest is... so, so... The question is if it wasn't for "The Exorcist" would this album be as big as it was? Tubular Bells has sold more than 2.63 million copies in the UK, and an estimated 15 million worldwide. And he was only 19! I got my PlayStation in 1998. for my 20th birthday.

I was enjoying this as kind of a quirky background work music type of album but then the demon(?) voices started on track 2 amidst some pretty rockin guitar and I was jolted out of my flow. The rest of it was widely varied and interesting. Of course I recognized The Shining melody at the beginning. What exactly is going on in the last track?

Listening to this as a standalone piece of music as it was intended, my mind wanders into questions about how much technology has changed music and our perceptions of it. In the early 1970's when it was incredibly expensive to record and distribute music, this kind of a random epic fantasy from a precocious teen was incredibly rare and widely celebrated. Now, with low cost digital recording technology and youtube, it's ubiquitous. The contemporary version of Mike Oldfield is perhaps Bo Burnham, and I prefer Bo, because when you're creating in land of great abundance of readily available music such as we live in today, the challenge shifts from production to marketing, and the only way to gain attention is to make great use of the attention you are already receiving, typically by offering worthwhile content (literally, worth the listener's while). Also, any pretense that Tubular Bells rises above pure novelty is shattered about 2/3 of the way into side one, when a quite pleased with itself voice starts introducing each instrument as it reappears. Hey, Mike was a teenager, and lord knows you don't want to hear what I was doing at his age so we cut him some slack. But we don't have to keep listening to it, let alone revere it. p.s. The second star is for the truly excellent use of excerpts of this in the terrifying movie, "The Exorcist."

Nr. 164/1001 Tubular Bells - Pt. 1 2/5 Tubular Bells - Pt. 2 2/5 Average: 2,0 I really didn't like the rock parts thrown into the songs.

One or two parts are OK at best. The rest is just the usual self indulgent prog twaddle.

Not my cup of tea or my glass of bourbon.

Wow. Part 1 you've all hesrd before, - mixes thing up but them, no need to add the names of the instruments as then are added. Really impacts the flow. Pt2 much better,,, until the groans come in. Them he starts the Sailor's hornpipe early. Forget the final track. Not sure what he was aiming for. Great skills and accomplishment.

I wasn't minding this until the growling began in track 2. It was just so unpleasant and unsettling to listen to. Like cookie monster was messing around on the mic.

2.8 - Dollar Tree version of a Philip Glass movie soundtrack (e.g Koyaanisqatsi). Uninteresting electronics, linear arrangements, thin textures. I really didn’t get much off this.

Fucking annoying

Not 1st listen Well I’m sure glad Tubular Bells helped make a billionaire out of Branson /s Luckily there’s more to its legacy The reckless abandon that went into making this album predates artpop experiments by Bowie and ELO, is surprisingly accessible for an instrumental prog album, *and* it’s also one of my Dad’s favourite records. How could I not like it I have underrated the English/Celtic folk-influenced second half, as the more eclectic first half kinda eclipses it. That Master of Ceremonies part is instant dopamine, imho If I have but one criticism, some sections (particularly in Pt 1) seem all too brief while others go on too long. A masterpiece, but a flawed one

Brilliant

When people talk about a musical experience this is a prime example of that. It can't be listened to in parts. This works best in a single listening session. It's important to separate the connection most people most likely make to The Exorcist, because there is such a stark difference between The Exorcist theme portion and the rest of the piece. If you're able to take the music for what it is it's a really great listen.

I know it probably isn’t a 5, but this is so peak

This is awesome. Can ppl seriously not appreciate some weird prog? Is all you want basic verse chorus structure? Live a little bit! Appreciate pure music! This is epic as hell, giving it a 5 out of spite

A few years ago I rated all of the albums in my collection to rank them and this album came out on top. This isn't just an album; it's an experience. I can imagine just about a whole movie while listening to this. I gotta admit the part that starts around the 12 minute mark on part 2 is kind of weird, but I feel it somehow fits in the fantasy setting I imagine. The goblin king sends a wolf into battle. I just forgot it ended on a sailor's tune. I thought that was only on a bonus track I didn't listen to this time. I also really admire Mike Oldfield for his multi instrumentalism.

Ein zeitloses Meisterwerk, das Genregrenzen sprengt und bis heute inspiriert. Tubular Bells ist nicht nur ein Album, sondern ein musikalisches Erlebnis, das die Fantasie beflügelt.

5/5. This guy was 19 when he made this. I'll just stick to my desk job lol. But seriously, super impressive stuff and although you can hear some simple changes in measures, the playing of the instruments and the epic melodies and themes throughout really define themselves without jumbling together on both sides. Silly at times, heavy at others, but the closing of Side One is definitely the highlight with the different instruments coming and going and the sick riff. Still crazy it's mostly just one guy at that age. Best Song: Part One, Part Two (not many options to choose from)

I’m at a 5. Hard to find anything to wax poetic about when it comes to 50 minutes of mostly instrumental music, but it’s a real testament that two tracks, coming in at over 23 minutes apiece, can be that captivating when given the time and space to really breathe, as well as giving each instrument their own chance to shine. It’s certainly not everyone’s cup of tea, but for my tastes, this hit right down the line of “good prog rock meets VGM sensibilities”, and the ever evolving and growing soundscape on both tracks, each with their own individual segments before some good resets, really made it feel like less of a slog that it could’ve been. One of my biggest pet peeves in music is when a song ends up lingering for too long; I’m not saying I need constant stimulation, but I’m too attentive as a listener to not notice when a drum pattern is stuck in limbo, or a guitar riff gets repeated a few too many times, or if the vocals / lyrics get stuck in a holding pattern. This album works because it’s constantly finding new innovations within the big sandbox that it has room to operate in – pretty much every minute in Part 1 finds a new instrument to add to the mix, or a new tone or soundscape to experiment with. It’s ever changing, but it’s slow, subtle changes that kept me engaged, and felt like a natural evolution throughout. Part 2 does this pretty well – it doesn’t do it *as* well, but it knows when to change up the soundscape to stop it from getting too stuck. It is really a miracle that this felt like it flew by – we’ve had albums that are less than 30 minutes that feel slower than this did, but I guess that’s more of a knock on pacing as a whole than it is to the quality of those albums, most of which have still been good. I’m just glad this had such room to breathe in; not everyone can pull off 26 minute songs and keep it captivating. These are, by far, the longest ones we’ve gotten as a group, and I guess it’s a real testament to my own musical growth that I could endure it, analyze it, and appreciate it. Sure, there’s a Metal Gear Solid 5-adjacent boost in the name here that helps a lot, but if we had gotten this in February or March, there’s a real chance I could’ve just ignored it. Either way, this was really fucking good. It’s a real music journey that lasts for 50 minutes, and even past its Exorcist-based popularity, the rest of the album is an absolute treat. Pop some headphones in, sit down, relax, and just let Mike Oldfield take you as far as you can go. It’s a very, very easy 5 for me.

love it reather side1 than 2

Un de mes premiers vinyles !

I was wondering if/when this album would appear. It truly meets the criteria of a must listen as it was and is unique in its concept and delivery. I have always loved how the melodies and harmonies flow seamlessly, and, it's got...tubular bells!

Bello, complesso, piacevole, famosissimo.

My favorite electronic album of all-time. Music introduced during the movie”The Exorcist”. Wore out my vinyl recording of it, in the 70’s.

I got really into Mike Oldfield last year, particularly the phenomenal Ommadawn. This is great also. I feel bad for the folks who only know it from The Exorcist, that’s like the first 7 minutes or something, you have to keep listening to get to the guy screaming in Klingon.

Love!!!

I hope to one day be as excited about something as Mike Oldfield when he introduces the mandolin(!)

Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Give a man access to every instrument conceivable, and he feeds us all for eternity. Introducing 5 star reviews.

I guess you've got to love this album or hate it? A lot depends whether you're an oldie too. I'm firmly in the former camp and I guess those that hate it love the sort of new stuff that will be soon forgotten. This was groundbreaking and iconic and has stood the test of time. A truly great album

This album, as a kid, terrified me, but now that I can appreciate great music, great composition…now I love it!

nuormestari, ihmelapsi.. nuori osuja... 80 eri instrumenttia,.masteroinut kaikki.. mike ''old soul'' field... youngfield at present... unc at soul... bike coldfield... Olen melkein kyyneleissä. Kyllä, kuulin tämän, kun se ilmestyi ensimmäisen kerran. Siirryin jazziin ja jazzfuusion puoleen a la Weather Report ja Soft Machine ja National Health. Mutta tällä kertaa olen täynnä niin katkeraa, makeaa nostalgiaa. Tuolloin se muistutti minua surusta Englannin ohittamisesta peltoineen, metsineen ja kukkuloineen. Elgarin ja Vaugh-williamsin itsevarma isänmaallisuus vaikutti silloinkin vanhentuneelta. Joten nyt vuonna 2024 tämä musiikki on niin nostalginen veto menneisyydestä ennen Englannin ja sen kulttuurin valtaamista... TARKOITAN SIIS PUOLALAISIA!!!! MUNA PILLUUN AH AH MUNA PILLUUN AH AH... part 1

Tubular bells are one of my favourite instruments so of course I'm a little bit obsessed with album named after them

Today it's easy again. Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells is one of my all-time favorites. I heard the music for the first time as a 14-year-old teenager and was thrilled. As a 15 year old, I then bought the boxed set of 4 albums. I spent a lot of my pocket money on it back then, even though I desperately needed it for gasoline and cigarettes. This album was my favorite of the collection at first. It took me a while to get into Hergest Ridge, Ommadawn and Callaboration. It was only very late that I found out that Tubular Bells was also the theme music to the film The Excorcist. I didn't like Mike Oldfield's later albums (i.e. after Boxed) nearly as much. Especially the pop stuff he did together with his sister I find highly uninteresting today. I also found the follow-up Tubular Bells X (with X >= 2) really boring. In this respect, I had already given up on Mike Oldfield and occasionally listened to Tubular Bells again. Then, more by chance, I came across the album Amarok, the poisened farewell gift to Virgin. Back to Tubular Bells, the album deserves to be in this canon of 1001 albums more than many others. 5/5

Great album, always is and always was. Listened to it on vinyl, ofcourse!

Classic prog

Masterpiece. Interesting and fascinating all the way through. Weird, wonderful and wicked at time, Mike was only 19 when he made this and he played most of the instruments. It was also the first record to be released on Virgin Records!

Incredible instrumental.

Today we have a progressive classic! This album has been on my list for about 8 or 9 years when I was discovering Progressive Rock. However, I don't remember exactly why, I was exhausted by this type of music and ended up forgetting to listen to some of the albums that were on that list. But the day finally arrived and it is with regret that I say that it didn't impress me as I thought it would. The sound is fantastic, but tiring at some points. The sound is really ahead of its time, but I don't think it has aged very well. Although the album focuses on the sound of instruments, at some points the lack of vocals is really felt. Despite the flaws, the sound synergy is fantastic. I'm going to leave 4 stars today.

Another one I have been meaning to listen to for years. Great stuff

Klasik

90% Best: Tubular Bells (Part One) Must-Hear? May be my prog bias speaking, but hell yeah

9.5/10. Beautifully-arranged music, long songs, amazing instrumentation, and so on. I dig it, and I really wish that there were more Mike Oldfield albums in this 1001 album project. :)

yeh whatever Will said

Thrilled to see an album I know like the back of my hand appearing on the list. Have listened to Tubular Bells for six years and have never got tired of it. Easily in my top 10 albums of all time and potentially my top 5. There's potential for this album to be my favourite out of the 1001.

Original and surprising. Bit of musical wizardry in this assemblage!

Even though it's only two long tracks, this album has so much variety and touches on so many styles. It's insane that he was only 19 when he recorded this. A true prog rock classic.

Great album

jo que bueno, como el primer dia que lo escuche hace ya ni me acuerdo

Writing one 50 minute song as a 19 year old and having it sell more than 16 million albums is pretty damn impressive.

Revolutionary when it was released, and still relevant today.

Classic! Love Mike Oldfield

Iconic album. And not just because of the Exorcist.

What a great album.

Wild that a 19 year old made such an amazing piece of new age music. Perfect production and trasitions.

💖 tubular bells (😂) 🗣️ 9️⃣

A classic, love it.

Really good

Absolutely incredible. 19 years old when he made this…woah. This is a prime example of an album that should be listened to before you die

The best way I can describe this is “medieval electronica,” and WOW I liked it far more than expected. Wild how significant it ended up being (even ignoring all musical influence) because of 1.) being Virgin’s first album, and 2.) The Exorcist. A delight! Listened to: on the train to New Jersey. Favorite track: I’m not picking a favorite on an album with 2 20+ minute tracks.

Das ist natürlich der ganz große Klassiker und das ganz große Meisterwerk von Mike Oldfield. Und das ist auch so. Alle Instrumente selbst eingespielt, die Komposition eine Form der Klassik im modernen Gewand. Meine Lieblingsstelle ist das Vorstellen der Instrumente mit dem großen Finale von Tubular Bells part 1.

-4 songs spanning 56 minutes, color me intrigued -why does this feel like a music students thesis -im just picturing this dude as silver surfer running around playing all the instruments -OH FUCK when the electric comes in -god damn the way he works in and out of bits is incredible -is this a joke, why is this so good -I am literally so far up this albums ass -this album makes me want to die, in like a good way -it’s giving a hint of greensleeves, 10 mins into part 2 -the fucking TEMPO MANAGEMENT -the screaming I could do without. Ok we are gonna pretend the mouth sounds didn’t happen -I WAS RIGHT, bro teased greensleeves -like waltz the entire album -This album simply changes the way you view music -I straight up saw God, that was a religious experience

I listened to this album twice through back to back and I'll say the second time through really helped me to understand what the hell is going on with this strange beautiful thing. I think it's really impressive that he's able to convey so much feeling and theme without any lyrics (possible werewolf growls aside). It sounds like a rock opera that doesn't need the actors. The instrumentation on this goes hard, the man is overflowing with talent. I think this is a really well done album that would have bordered on pretentious if not for the whimsical breaks where album doesn't take itself too seriously. I was on the edge of a 5 for this one, but the final skit pushed me over. It's blinking well baffling!

One of the most iconic albums of prog rock made by a very young man. The actor and musician Matt Berry calls it his favourite album - for a good reason. It's pure atmosphere from beginning to end. It can help you write, dream, imagine and also relax. Just one reason why it was used for the soundtrack of The Exorcist.

Some lovely ambient tunes going on here! Obviously Stereolab were influenced by this album. Not quite as etherreal as Mid-Air Thief but in the same vein. This is an epic album, not to be missed!

NOICE